The driver profusely smacked the horn as the witches bounced back in shock. Kate stayed exactly where she was but narrowed her eyes, looking at the driver. This was my chance.

I twisted her wrist and managed to free myself. I tugged for Horizon's Edge but she fought back, snarling at me.

I kneed her abdomen and snatched the dagger, making a run for the other hunters as Alex grabbed hold of a witch, flipping him on his back and restraining him, keeping his magic at bay.

"Felix!" Kate cried, pointing at me. "The dagger!"

But the hunters wouldn't let her near it. Even with their hands bound, they leapt to their feet and charged, taking on the supernaturals with nothing but the strength of their numbers alone. They threw their bodies at the witches, who casted in panic with not a clue who to aim for. I pushed through the crowd, eager to keep Horizon's Edge from the witches' grasp, and keen to find a weapon to defend it.

As I approached the weapons' pile, the truck sped in front of me, screeching to a halt. The driver's window rolled down, making my jaw drop.
Diana smiled. "Just in time, I see!"
I blinked. "Diana? How did you--?"
"Surprise!" Florence cooed, reaching over from the backseat.
"We thought you could use some help," Alfie explained from the passenger's side. "So we called... well, mum."
"But Ollie--"
"Is fine!" Diana urged. "Stop your worrying and focus on keeping the rest of us alive tonight."

With a sigh, I rummaged through the weapons' pile and found my crossbow, still unfolded without an arrow loaded. Alex called from nearby and jogged over as I slung the quiver over my back.

"Is that the twins?"
"That's the twins. And--"
"Oh my god, look at you!" Diana squealed, almost falling out the car window. "Aren't you a handsome boy? Erika, you didn't tell me he was this handsome!"
"This handsome?" Alex cocked his head, grinning.
I shoved a blade in his hand. "Diana, Alex. Alex, Diana."
"Erika!"

Dad called from across the clearing. Witches emerged from the crowd of hunters unscathed. Many of the hunters had now freed themselves and were jogging for the weapons' pile. Kate had recovered fine and had her eyes locked on me; Horizon's Edge in my hands.

"We need to get this away from here," I muttered. Diana gestured behind her.
"Back of the truck. Get in it."

A group of hunters approached, Pete leading them. "Don't worry," he said, picking up his longsword from the pile. "They're not getting anywhere near that dagger."
"We'll keep them away from the truck. You lot get out," said Alex.
"I can't just leave you all!"
"Yes you can."

Alex picked me up and put me in the back of the truck, resistant to my kicking legs.

I gawked at the audacity. "You just picked me up."
"Not the time. Now go!"

Diana revved the engine and set off for the gap in the trees to take us towards the road. I didn't want to leave the others -- I went there to get dad to safety and was leaving him behind -- but the dagger couldn't stay where it was most dangerous and the twins would struggle to protect Diana as she drove.

Alex and Pete charged, armed hunters following them in the stampede towards the witches; dad among them. We outnumbered the witches, but they out-armed us with their magic. Kate almost roared in fury as her cult crumbled around her, casting a wall of fire that made her attackers -- dad, Tommy and Wyatt -- retreat back.

There was a severe lack of ranged weapons among us. With their smaller numbers, the witches would presumably keep all hunters at a distance to avoid their blades and swords. Some had guns with them, but they were hard weapons to come by, leaving only a few among our entire small army.

I passed Alfie Horizon's Edge. "Take this."
"What are you doing?"
I loaded the crossbow. We might have been escaping the clearing, but I wasn't going to leave without getting a few shots in first. "Giving them some help."

I scanned the ongoing battle for anyone in need of aid. Alex and Pete worked together in a rematch against Felix but they were holding out well. Dad, Wyatt and Tommy went after Kate, while I spotted Lucie and Lily taking on the black-haired witch that faced off against Alex and myself in Edinburgh.

Another witch advanced towards Vanessa as she took on another by herself. He raised a hand, ready to attack, while she didn't even notice him getting closer. I fired a bolt into his chest and he collapsed behind her. Dumbstruck at the sound behind her before whirring around, she saluted her thanks and carried on fighting.

"Damn," Alfie croaked.
"Nice shot, though," Florence added.

I tried to ignored their reactions. Diana ran over a bump and knocked me off balance. I grabbed the side of the truck, almost falling over the edge as Diana apologised.

Looking over the edge, Kate made eye contact. She held off dad and his allies with a wall of flames but her focus was on the dagger alone.
"Felix!"

He didn't need orders. With a force of magic, he shoved Alex and Pete out of reach and broke into a run. They swore and ran after him but struggled to keep up.

He grew closer. I fired an arrow but he was ready for it, deflecting it with the force of his barrier magic.

"Erika, what's that thing running at us?" Diana asked, anxiously looking at the rear-view mirror.
"Basically a tank," I replied. "Step on it!"

She sped up, engine roaring as we got closer to the break in the trees to get the dagger to safety. We were almost there when Felix stopped running. He stared at me, raising his hands in the air.

Florence frowned. "What is he--?"
"Shit!"

Diana cursed and swerved to the right as the ground raised six feet in the air, blocking us from escaping through the gap in the trees. Dirt sprayed all around us and rubber burned, but the vehicle managed to stay on all fours as we drove on, back towards the battle.

"We can't get closer. There's more witches there!" I yelled. "They'll get the dagger."
"Where do you expect me to go?" Diana shouted.

I had to think. Felix was behind us, throwing magic that Diana swerved around, while Kate was up ahead, half watching us and half fighting dad and his entourage. They saw me take the dagger and hop in the truck... but they never watched me give it to Alfie.

"I'm getting out," I said, leaning over the edge. "Twins," I looked at the dagger. "You know what to do."

They nodded. Diana slowed down but didn't stop to let me out. I jumped from the edge, landing harshly on the grass in a forward roll. Felix was still chasing after us but, as planned, his eyes landed on me rather than the others in the truck. They flitted between the two of us in a brief moment of conflict -- which of us had the dagger?

I touched the pocket of my jacket ever so subtly to give him his answer; an answer he fell for. Crossbow at my side, I raised to my feet.
"Come and get it you ugly bastard."

Built like a machine with powerful magic, he started to cast, shooting fireballs all over the place without a single care for the flames he ignited in the grass. I ducked and dodged until I found an opening and fired.

He threw the arrow away like the others. I groaned and kept trying, backing away to keep my distance. If he had a hold of me, I feared he cold snap my neck in a second if he wished.

Which I imagined he did.

As he got closer, he unsheathed his sword and swung. I leapt back, cursing that I did not have any handheld weapon on me, looking around for anything I could use but seeing nothing.

Until Alex came running.
"Erika!"

He tossed his sword and I grabbed the hilt, swinging back at Felix to block his incoming attack just in time. My wrists clicked at the force it took to hold position, but it worked.

Metal scraped and I took a swing of my own. He blocked then swung, I blocked then counter-attacked while Alex stepped in to assist.

Felix blocked both of our attacks, taking violent swings in hope to crush our defence with the force of his arms alone. He hit over and over again, making Alex and I stumble.

Alex cursed as Felix disarmed him, falling backwards into the dirt as the butt of Felix's blade struck his head. I took another swing for Felix, groaning as it was blocked with ease. He pushed me back with the force of the blades and sliced the air in front of him as I stumbled back.

I cried and fell forward as the tip of the blade struck my abdomen, dropping the sword out of shock. Felix hissed and snatched me by the neck, lifting me in the air with one hand.

I clawed at his skin and his hand tightened around my windpipe. I wheezed, my head spinning as I gagged for air.
"Where is it?" he snapped. "It's not here -- what did you do with it?"

I swung and kicked him in the face but he didn't let go. Blood trickled from his nose and he snarled, fist closing around my neck agonisingly.
"You shouldn't have done that."

Tears streamed down my eyes as he squeezed tighter. I pulled at his arm, clawing the skin as I refused to stop fighting, but he wouldn't budge.

"You don't have it, do you? But I'll get it. I'll tear it from your family's corpses if I have to. I'll--"

His voice cut off and he let go. I collapsed to the ground with a thud and drew in a heavy breath. Alex dug the blade from his gauntlet into the back of Felix's neck. Although a deadly blow, I couldn't be sure with him. I picked up his own sword and shoved it straight in his chest.
"You'll what?" I hissed.

When I removed the blade, he collapsed, eyes wide with blood streaming from his mouth. I winced and pressed a hand to my stomach where the sword wound had opened.

"You alright?" Alex asked.
I nodded. "I'll be fine," I croaked. "Why does everyone try to choke me to death?"
He shrugged. "They must think you enjoy it."
My jaw dropped. "Excuse--"

We flinched at a burst of fire aimed for the truck that knocked it sideways. My family abandoned the vehicle, the scarlet tint of Horizon's edge in Florence's hand.

Every hunter saw the crash. Every hunter saw the dagger... as did every witch.

Everyone ran for it.

My cousin's eyes bulged, fire reflecting in her jade irises. She couldn't fight them off... but they were like dog's with a bone.

I changed course, and Florence spotted. She knew what to do.

"Erika!" She threw the blade. I caught the hilt in my hands and ran.

The crowd staggered to a halt. Witches reached for the dagger but hunters caught on quick, and a new phase of the battle commenced before the burning truck. Some escaped the conflict, however.

When a witch neared me, I spotted Alex and Pete both watching. I called Alex's name, but tossed it to Pete, who threw it to Wyatt, then dad, then Alex, then Diana, all of us running about the clearing, desperate to keep it out of the witches path and the cult split up, trying to block our passes.

Kate tackled Diana to the ground, forgetting all magic in her frenzy. Florence dove to grapple her off her mother, but a swift kick across her burned abdomen had her stumbling back.

Diana roared and turned the witch over, pinning her down with a mother's fury. I aimed my crossbow but struggled to aim with their fighting. Then Diana raised Horizon's Edge, the tip of the blade aimed for Kate's own heart.

She threw her away in a mighty gust of wind and I fired a bolt. The arrow struck the rock Kate shielded herself with at the last second, glaring at me.

Then the witches charged for Florence, who had taken the dagger from her mother and sprinted away from the clearing.

Magic blocked every path and had her zig-zagging all over the place. When the witches closed in, so did the hunters. Alfie ran to her, charging alongside her to keep an eye out for any impending magic.

The hunters caught them before any witches, and crowded around them, circling the dagger young Florence clung to.

And the witches circled us. All of us were armed, but only five of us possessed ranged weapons. I weaved my way to the outskirts of the group, Lucie following with her rifle and three others I did not know clutching pistols. The witches numbers had dwindled, but we were no match for their magic.

"Enough," Kate hissed. "No more games. Final chance: hand over the dagger."
Diana held her arms in front of her daughter, narrowing her eyes. "Not a chance."
Kate brandished a pale palm, a knife in her other hand. "So be it."

The blade slid across her skin with the whispering of incompressible words. I found dad nearby.

"What is she doing?"
"She's..." Fear made his jaw drop. "No!"

A sound made the group stir. A rip of fabric we could not see... until the sky opened up.

Stripes of jagged orange light cut through the air, the ground, the trees, and dozens of unnamed creatures crawled from the depths, coated in shadow, ink, ash and fire, possessing an all manner of shapes and sizes like hell-bound animals.

Hunters swore around me. These were demons, but what kind? Could they be killed by weapons or magic alone? Even the cult members around Kate turned pale, including Nathaniel.

"Blood magic," Lucie gasped. "I've never seen it before."

I armed and fired the crossbow, shooting a bear-shaped demon in the face. Its flaming countenance warped, jaw stretching into a mighty roar. The arrow turned to ash on its skin.

I released a breath. "Fuck."
"I think you made it mad," said Lucie.
I nodded. "Dad?"
"Weapons may work on some of them but others... Look! Some don't have fire."

I made a mental note. Avoid the ones coated in fire, if possible.

"Now!" Kate called, raising a scarlet hand to the sky, fingers outstretched. "You have fought valiantly. But--"

A cold chill swept through the clearing. We turned to the right as wind and black ash circled an empty space, and from it stepped seven individuals: five men and two women, dressed in finery worthy of ancient knights. Creatures of this world, but not at the same time.

"No way," Pete gasped.
"Who is it?" Alex asked him.
Wyatt swallowed. "It's the coven Lords and Ladies. But who--?" He spun as Diana waved.
"You're welcome."

The second-oldest amongst the lords stepped forward, scowling with thick grey brows.
"KATE!"
"That's Mathias," Leopold whispered to me. "Kate's old coven leader."

For once, Kate looked human. Afraid. "I am doing what is necessary. You know that."
"And you know the consequences of your actions. Not to mention the punishment for spitting on our coven system and committing blood magic and necromancy."
"Don't mind the dead hunters," Alex whispered. "We're not important or anything."
Kate raised her chin. "I do."
Mathias cast a ball of warped light in his hands. "Then so be it."

The magic fired Kate's way in deadly speed, and chaos erupted once more. Witches and demons fired on the vulnerable hunters. We ducked and dived out the way of soaring magic, while those of us clutching ranged weapons fired the only possible offence from our faction.

A Coven Lady, young, silver-haired and dark-skinned, threw out her arms and sent a wave of fog over the clearing, obscuring the vision of all that fought within it.